The 25th Annual AIA UK Student Charrette - From Space to Place: Re-Imagining Station Court

Transforming the ROCA Gallery. Photo Credit: ©Agnese Sanvito

On a blustery October morning, the ROCA London Gallery underwent its annual transformation from pristine sanitaryware showroom to buzzing design studio, littered with evidence of the creative chaos of the annual AIA UK Student charrette. Once again, the Zaha Hadid-designed space served as an inspirational backdrop for students, and its sinuous curves could be found subtly re-emerging in many of the teams' proposals.

Braving a London beset by protest marches, distracted by rugby matches and paralysed by public transport closures, this year's students were a persistent bunch. They were joined by last year's victorious Westminster team, whose victory encouraged many of their classmates to join the competition. They wasted little time in turning the Roca gallery into a vibrant creative hub on a chilly Saturday morning.  

Each team was assigned a mentor to assist and guide them throughout the day, and this year, we were pleased to welcome a number of RIBA chartered mentors, strengthening the bonds between the AIA and RIBA even as they prepared their teams for direct competition. The mentors helped their student teams navigate the competition brief and prepare imaginative proposals to transform Station Court, a little-used open space adjacent to the gallery, into a true place at the heart of the Imperial Wharf development. 

Teams approached the task creatively and with great flair, proposing new design districts, landscaped parks and inflatable pavilions that drew on Imperial Wharf's long industrial heritage, and sought to forge connections between the disconnected clusters of residential development surrounding the site.

Deliberating jurors; anxious competitors. Photo Credit: ©Agnese Sanvito

This year's proposals were judged by a young and enthusiastic jury - Ali Abbas and Andrew Morris from Stanton Williams, Yasmin Khan Osborne from Rodic Davidson, and Amrita Raja, AIA UK President and Senior Associate at Woods Bagot. Despite the quick-fire format of the reviews, they were able to provide sensitive and helpful feedback to the students, with wide-ranging discussions touching on urban planning, community consultation and design, as well as presentation techniques and formats and the challenges and benefits of preparing hand-drawn presentations in a digital age. 

After a lively series of presentations, the jury retired to compare notes and determine which team would emerge victorious. To take the edge off the nerves, students and mentors passed the time in the showroom gallery, enjoying a drinks reception hosted by ROCA, and taking the time to peruse the fortuitously timed exhibition, 'Drawing Attention: The Digital Culture of Contemporary Architectural Drawing.' 

Faced with an array of creative proposals, the jury had a difficult time deciding on a winner. After much deliberation, Westminster once again emerged victorious, laying claim to another title for their school. The winning team's proposal, a series of pavilions distributed through an imaginatively planned landscape, impressed the judges for its consideration of existing use patterns, precise and thoughtful drawings, and varied design interventions. 

Runners up this year were also from Westminster, with a whimsical and convincingly presented proposal for a series of inflatable pavilions that drew inspiration from the site's history as a production centre for low-gravity gas for ballooning races. 

Although only one team could claim the title, the energy and creativity that fuelled the day was a testament to the enthusiasm of all the participants. Mentors from all teams were impressed by students' willingness to dive into the challenge and embrace the analogue format of the event. 

The AIA would like to extend our thanks to the jury for their engagement and insightful comments, and to the mentors Pierre Baillargeon, Stephen Lawler, Michelle Martin, Andrea Maugeri and Daniel Smith for donating their time and experience. Thank you also to David, Emma, Indra and the team at Roca Gallery London for their hard work throughout the day, and to ROCA and Laufen for their generous and continuing sponsorship. And of course, a huge thank you to all the students for their energy and enthusiasm, we hope you all had a great time and will encourage your classmates to join us again next year! 

The winning team, mentored by Andrea Maugeri RIBA BSc MArch ARB - Hafsa Syed / Nabiha Qadir /Maryam Daudi / Daniel Berende / Emanuele Volpe with jurors, event organiser and mentor. Photo Credit: ©Agnese Sanvito

The runners up, mentored by Michelle Martin RIBA BA (Hons), MArch, ADPPA, AIA Int. ARB - Ella Reed / Alcina Lo / Aisha Nadim /Esther Calinawan / Maryam Islam with jurors, event organiser and mentor. Photo Credit: ©Agnese Sanvito

Written by: Nicholas Kehagias AIA